title: Determination of estrogenic potential in waste water without sample extraction.
abstract: This study describes the modification of the ER-Calux assay for testing water samples without sample extraction (NE-(ER-Calux) assay). The results are compared to those obtained with ER-Calux assay and a theoretical estrogenic potential obtained by GC-MSD. For spiked tap and waste water samples there was no statistical difference between estrogenic potentials obtained by the three methods. Application of NE-(ER-Calux) to "real" influent and effluents from municipal waste water treatment plants and receiving surface waters found that the NE-(ER-Calux) assay gave higher values compared to ER-Calux assay and GC-MSD. This is explained by the presence of water soluble endocrine agonists that are usually removed during extraction. Intraday dynamics of the estrogenic potential of a WWTP influent and effluent revealed an increase in the estrogenic potential of the influent from 12.9 ng(EEQ)/L in the morning to a peak value of 40.0 ng(EEQ)/L in the afternoon. The estrogenic potential of the effluent was <LOD (<0.68 ng(EEQ)/L). The overall reduction in estrogenic potential was 92-98%. Daytime estrogenic potential values varied significantly.
authors.affiliation: Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Miha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avberšek
authors.forename: Bojana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Žegura
authors.forename: Metka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filipič
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uranjek-Ževart
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heath
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D002460:Cell Line; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D004964:Estriol / Q000032:analysis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D004970:Estrone / Q000032:analysis; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004958:Estradiol; D004964:Estriol; D004967:Estrogens; D004970:Estrone; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C513611:7alpha-methyl ethinylestradiol
keywords: ER-Calux(®); Estrogenic potential; GC–MSD; No extraction; Waste water